Crimson Bond

by BlitzJV

The last of Uzushio, kept alive through a space time seal, he now finds himself alone, his family broken, his clan gone, his hidden village ravaged, but he still wishes to live, he still wants to make sure his family is alive in his heart. A boy that shouldn't have survived the massacre, will turn into a man that will scour the world to, as he put it, "Bring back the Uzumaki Clan."

3. Arc 1 (Recon): First Step of Many

"So, what is it you wish to discuss with me, Kyinosen-san?" Rizuma sat on Kashipta's head as she swam through the reef at the surface, showing Rizuma around while the chief ray followed them.

"We will discuss many things young one, we are delivering you to where you will sign the scroll to finalize our union, and then, we shall discuss how a child like yourself could have survived the destruction of the Uzushio." Rizuma heard that and nodded, not bothering to open his eyes. "Understood, I was going to explain to you, regardless. I know Kashipta-san and one other ray heard what I said about being sealed when I woke up in the middle of healing. It wouldn't make sense to hide it, considering from now on, we are partners."

"Kashipta, who was the other Ray? I thought you brought him to the healing grounds by yourself?" Kyinosen looked at Kashipta who sighed. "It was your daughter, Kyinosen-sama. Kyinare-san visited in the middle of my work to satiate her curiosity about our new visitor here. Seems like she is determined to find out more about him."

"Kyinare visited hmm, that curiosity of hers didn't impede you from your duties did it?"

"Not in the slightest, it was just harmless questions about Rizuma. She seems to want to know a lot about human kind." Kyinosen hummed and looked up at Rizuma, who still had his eyes closed and arms down. "You seem to enjoy yourself up there young Rizuma, would you care to explain what you are doing?"

"Admiring the chakra that is all around the area. Your chakras…" Rizuma opened his eyes and looked out to the reef, "They are all so beautiful. I've only ever known Uzumaki chakra, as well as the fish and seagulls that come by my area. I've been on my own for 3 years, finding no difference in things and not witnessing anything change besides the damage erosion is doing to my home. I actually sense something different now, and it's amazing to see. The difference in chakra compared to me, it's beautiful."

"Ah, you're a human that can sense other chakra sources. I've heard rumors of humans from the elemental nations that can sense chakra, I'm pleasantly surprised." Kashipta sounded impressed as Rizuma smiled, "It is an amazing ability, but I still haven't honed it to where it needs to be, not yet. Mito Uzumaki, one of the founders of Uzushio, had such a heightened sense due to her special conditions, she could sense the emotions of other people. If it's possible, I'd like to recreate that someday, without the special conditions."

"Mito Uzumaki, what were her special conditions if I may ask?" Kyinosen asked as Rizuma smiled, "Her special conditions came when she moved away from Uzushio to live in Konoha. Chief Azino told me that Mito was courted by the great Hashirama Senju of Konohagakure, the strongest shinobi of all time. And she held the responsibility of sealing something of unimaginable power. She was tasked with sealing the Tailed Beast, the Nine-Tailed Fox, and she sealed it within herself. She got her emotion sensing powers because of being a jinchuriki, as only an Uzumaki could hold the Kyuubi, due to our life-force being too strong for the Kyuubi to burn down with its beastly chakra." Rizuma held his head as he remembered the story that Azino had passed down, while the thought of Konoha made him frown slightly before he continued.

"Azino told us that story to remind the children of Uzushio that along with our extended lifespans, we had strong life forces that we could use for different things. My oji-san Tsurosen along with another person of the clan, Kushina, could create sealing chains from their bodies that were made of chakra when molded properly, and these chains could absorb the chakra of people. My oba-san Vizane with just a single touch of a person's body could inject her chakra into other people's systems purposely and shut their chakra systems down due to chakra poisoning and blocking the chakra gates, and only people with the best chakra control like Azino-sama could combat this. I would one day like to try to obtain those abilities, to honor them."

"You have a lot of knowledge about your clan young one, I'm extremely impressed with the abilities they possessed." Kashipta stated as Kyinosen nodded before he stated, "We've arrived. Young Rizuma, welcome to the Merino Archway, the heart of Kosuitei Reef." Rizuma looked ahead to the spires of coral that all met in the middle, forming a sort of arch cage with a rainbow forming in the middle as he could sense the chakra coming from the coral that connected to a large chakra source in the middle.

"From here on, you shall walk on the water to the center of the Archway. There will be a pedestal that you will reach and when you get there, our elder will greet you and gift you the scroll of summoning. May the eyes of the elder grant you wisdom, young one." Kyinosen finished with Rizuma jumping off Kashipta and hopped onto the water, still feeling some exhaustion and pain but powering through it as he walked toward the middle, admiring the sight before him.

"Closer…" He heard a voice call out to him when he reached the first two coral spires that lit up with chakra. He went on to the second set of spires and the coral lit up again, the voice getting louder. He closed his eyes and walked forward, drowning out the sound of the voice beckoning him as he walked forward with his right arm now out. He felt the spires all light up in the chakra before they all suddenly went out, and the middle presence got stronger, more complete. "Answer this young one, what is something that when you stop and look, you can always see, if you try to touch, you cannot feel, and it cannot move, but as you near, it will move away from you?" Rizuma smiled, remembering Azino's voice as he asked all the children that question one day and told the instructor not to give any sealing lessons until someone could figure it out. He spent hours trying to find it before he looked out towards something and found the answer. His memories played before him, the running he had towards the clan tower, the barging through the door, and the answer that came forth.

"The horizon. No matter how far you go, you will never reach the horizon, it will elude you forever, but you can admire its beauty from afar." Rizuma opened his eyes, the first thing appearing in his field of vision being two blue whirlpools within the eyes of a white ray, a white ray that seemed as large as Kyinosen, but looked much older. The ray laid flat on a stone pedestal, with a water hole right underneath it.

"Well then, young Uzumaki, it's been a while since I've heard that answer on the first attempt. My name is Calopria, the elder Ray of Kosuitei Reef, the beacon of the Merino Archway. It is truly a pleasure to see the first summoner of our clan for decades, your chakra burns wildly and brightly, the crimson red cutting through the air with ease." The ray offered its large stinger, Rizuma taking it as a sign to shake before he grabbed the large stinger, avoiding the large poisonous spikes and trying his best to shake it like a hand.

"Thank you for your praise, Calopria-sama, it is an honor to be partnered with a clan like this. Your chakras, this region, people could only dream of having a natural zone like this to admire. I'm thrilled to be one of the select few people to truly see the beauty of it all."

"I see, you're a sensor, one with potential just waiting to be untapped. I assume you are also studying seals, judging by the Niju Omori Fuin you used to bring our chief back down to the sea." Rizuma nodded and Calopria lifted her stinger before plunging it into the ground. She then released her chakra, Rizuma putting his arms up to block the shockwave that emanated from Calopria's chakra. Rizuma's eyes caught the bright green chakra that Calopria was enveloped with and grew enamored before a large scroll appeared from the ground.

"Here is the scroll young one, I will remind you that when you sign this, you will train your summoning abilities as well. Throughout my days, I have seen summoning animals never used after getting a contract, and the contract goes to waste. Rizuma Uzumaki, I can see the thirst for knowledge and new abilities within you, so train with us rays. Learn our ways, learn to connect with the Ray clan more, and reach out to us as much as we will reach out to you. Don't forget to train and hone your summoning abilities just so you can bypass the whirlpools." Rizuma then looked straight into the whirlpools that Calopria had for eyes and smiled.

"Calopria-sama, I need partners, not crutches. I knew what I was getting into when I completed the jutsu to bring us here, I was desperate, and alone. Alone for 3 years, I had no one but myself and my mind to shield from what loomed over me. I lost my whole clan, everyone I loved, everyone I cared about, I lost to a looming war. A war that, for all I know could still be ongoing. I need to get past the whirlpools to gain information, I need to do reconnaissance. I've already lost enough, a child lost to the whirlpools. I've come far by myself, but by yourself you can only go so far before others come with people to guide them, whether in the right direction or wrong. I have the Rays now, and I don't plan on treating you like other summoners. Like I told Kashipta-san, we are partners. If you need something done, you can come to me. I can't overlook that, I'm an Uzumaki, family matters to me, and when I came here, I saw a new family that I am about to be connected to. I won't overlook you, and I swear on my name that I will train your abilities. The world brought Uzushiogakure down, but I plan on bringing it back up." Rizuma looked at Calopria's whirlpools as she nodded with a semblance of a smile.

"Rizuma Uzumaki, you truly remind me of our first summoner. With the honor of being the Elder Ray of Kosuitei Reef, I give upon you our scroll of summoning. May the Rays be with you…"

"Forever and always." Rizuma finished as Calopria smiled before Rizuma opened the scroll and widened his eyes, his breath shortening. He ran his hands over the only name that appeared on the scroll, a name that had been crossed out.

"Ashina Uzumaki…" He looked at Calopria, who seemed to smirk at him. "Your first and only summoner was the founder of our clan?"

"It is the reason I held you to a higher pedestal. The one person who found us before you, he had found us as an old man, deep into his age. He had become our first summoner due to his oath to help us in exchange for our help, 'partners', as he called it." Rizuma's smile widened, "I'm glad I could meet the example you set for me. I will make sure to cherish our partnership, I won't fade away."

"There is one more thing you need to do before you sign the contract, Rizuma-kun." Calopria's stinger pointed to the coral spire that loomed above them.

"This coral spire connects to all the other coral spires in Kosuitei Reef, combine your chakra with me, a sign of your partnership with the Ray clan."

Rizuma looked up at the coral and saw Calopria's stinger go to touch the spire before he jumped toward it and put his hand out. Calopria's bright green and Rizuma's crimson red marked the tower, each color surrounding the other as the other coral spires lit up red and green. The rays around the Reef looked at the coral spires above and underwater, seeing the coral light up as Merino Archway glowed in a multitude of colors, the coral turning rainbow.

"Quite a sight, isn't it Rizuma-kun?" Rizuma panted and nodded, his chakra still not fully recovered from the test Kyinosen had put him through.

"It seems what our chieftain did to you is still lingering. Sign our contract and rest here for now, and I will call Kyinosen and Kashipta over here. Rays of our clan reported the Uzumaki had been massacred 10 years ago, so imagine my surprise when I found out an Uzumaki child with burning red chakra had reverse-summoned himself here." Rizuma stumbled over to the scroll and looked at the one name that was there. "Here's to our clan, founder. When it's all said and done, I will learn everything about us, and take it to new heights. Protection, the Uzumaki shed blood to protect our allies, and I will be no different. If I ever find any allies, I will bring them to Uzushio, I will protect them."

Rizuma bit his thumb slightly, a small amount of blood coming out before he signed the contract, his name shining in the scroll before Calopria resealed it. Rizuma then fell to his knees and laid on his back, his exhaustion returning slightly.

"Calopria-sama, what is the first thing I will learn? I want to train right away." Rizuma asked in-between his panting.

"We shall decide after our discussion. And they will arrive shortly." Rizuma shut his eyes and just decided to softly breathe in and out while laid on his back, just enough so that he wouldn't fall asleep. He felt two splashes of water, one bigger than the other, and looked to his right, seeing Kyinosen and Kashipta in the water.

"Calopria-sama, we have arrived." Kashipta tilted her head in respect while Kyinosen respectfully nodded, Calopria doing the same back.

"Rizuma-kun, you can sit up now." Rizuma kipped up and looked at the two rays with a nod of respect and a smile. "Look at you now young one, how does it feel to be our new summoner?" Kyinosen asked, as Rizuma smiled even wider. "Feels like I just gained a new family."

"Now then, enough with that." Kashipta looked toward Rizuma, "Explain the reasoning. How did you survive the Uzumaki massacre? By the looks of it, you should have been born then or after. Did your mother escape?" Rizuma shook his head and looked out at the horizon before looking at the three rays.

"No, in fact, it's nothing close. I'm 9 years old, to you and everyone else in the outside world, the Uzumaki massacre happened 10 years ago. However, for me, it only happened three years ago." Calopria and Kyinosen hummed while Kashipta looked aghast.

"From your perspective it only happened three years ago, so when you said you were sealed for 7 years…" Kashipta looked at Rizuma, who nodded with a sad smile. "The children would've surely been killed by all enemy forces, so my Oba-san and Oji-san, along with our chief devised a plan. They'd plant invisible seal tags on the ships leaving with all the children, while one person stayed behind, put in a time suspension seal using the chakra from the people involved in the battle and suck it up, putting it into the seal. That seal would be locked in the Uzumaki vault, a place where no one except someone at least half-Uzumaki could attempt to open, with a seal on the outside of the vault that could impede any jutsu. The enemy forces somehow unsealed the enemy ships, and the only child to not get on the ship was me. I stayed back, not wanting to leave my clan behind. I would've fought to the end with them, and my uncle and aunt knew this. So, they brought me to the vault, and I was sealed within, the only Uzumaki on Uzushio to survive due to my clan's preparations. Chief Azino sealed me within, and while to me it had been a second, to the outside world it was 7 years. I awoke to a broken Uzushio, the buildings nearly all gone, bones and skeletons remaining, the result of the battle apparent. I returned to the Uzumaki Tower, broken but still standing, signalling my return." Rizuma wiped away some tears that threatened to break out.

"I found the graves of my aunt, my uncle, the chief, my cousins, every Uzumaki that fought in the battle, buried by the enemy forces out of respect for their legacy. It has been 3 years since, and every day I have to force myself to not cry, force myself to move forward knowing everyday I will see those graves, and everyday I'm reminded of what happened…"

Rizuma cried, a proud smile on his face as he looked at the three rays. "Every day, I'm reminded of what they did to protect me, so I go forth knowing they left everything for me to fix, entrusting me to rebuild Uzushio, to find a path for myself, to live my life. They died so I could live, fighting off three of the great shinobi nations as well as hundreds of shinobi that had abandoned their villages. Azino-sama made sure to instill in me that revenge is a bad idea, so I never live for revenge after the deaths of my kaa-san and tou-san, but to see that after only a second, it took all that I had to keep myself together, to not break down. I'm still holding on, and I will always hang on, so that in the end when I meet them, they can be proud of the person I am. I will never forgive the people who massacred us…" Rizuma stood up in front of the rays with a strong smile, "But revenge isn't what I want. What I want is to rebuild, to show them that Uzushio isn't dead, to show them that it's still standing, and that it won't ever go away. My clan, my family, my loved ones, they physically left this world…" He pointed to his chest, Calopria's eyes slightly widening as she saw Rizuma's chakra sprawl out, figures of warriors behind him coming into view, all standing around him in a blaze, "But they live on within me, and I won't let their gift to me go to waste."

"I see…" Kyinosen flapped his fins and came up, floating in front of Rizuma before offering the boy his stinger.

"May your family rest peacefully, I offer my condolences young one, they went out of this world with pride and honor, something some people can only dream of. The Uzumaki clan has all my respect, a clan prided on honor fights to the bitter end against the might of an alliance, a truly brilliant end. I can truly say that the Ray clan have received a summoner that will honor the other side of this partnership, and we will lend you our strength for anything if you need our help." Rizuma wiped his tears again and shook Kyinosen's stinger, avoiding the large poisonous spikes in it, before Kashipta offered her stinger.

"You truly have my respect, Rizuma-kun. To stay strong after the death of your clan, your mental fortitude is something I can't comprehend for your age. Your clan taught you well, may they rest in peace, and may your relationship with us blossom, we will take you in and help you, at any cost." Rizuma shook her stinger, noting her stingers didn't seem nearly as developed as the other two, in fact it exuded a chakra presence much more calm. He then looked at Calopria, the elder staring back before her stinger came in front of him, touching his shoulder. Green chakra went into Rizuma's shoulder as a seal tattoo in the shape of a spiral came out.

"Rizuma-kun, I was right to believe in your presence. What I just gave you is a sealing tattoo, when you push chakra into it, you will summon a Ray of your choice depending on the amount of chakra you push in. However, I still wish for you to practice the actual summoning jutsu. That tattoo will be in a time of desperate need only. You have shown yourself to be honorable and trustworthy, and Kosuitei Reef is proud to have you." Rizuma closed his eyes and wiped the final tears away, raising Jinami.

"I won't let any of you down." He pointed Jinami at the three, his chakra blazing. He then set Jinami down and looked at Calopria. "What do I do first?" Calopria looked at Kyinosen and Kashipta, humming slightly before raising her stinger.

"Your first task will be to summon your first ray to the mainland. You will slowly work your way up to summoning Kyinosen, but for now we wish to see what you can do. The ray that you summon will be your familiar, the ray that will normally come. You will summon others, but this ray will be the one you are connected to the most. Whenever you are needed, we will summon you here, however when you go back and summon your familiar, I will summon you back with the Gyaku Kuchiyose no Jutsu. Good luck Rizuma-kun, be back soon." Calopria plunged her stinger into the ground and Rizuma closed his eyes, feeling a pull of some sort before opening his eyes again, seeing the familiar clearing of Kairen Island surrounding him.

"Okay, let's do this." Rizuma went to the ocean and bit his hand before performing the hand seals on the beach. "Let's see if this works now. Kuchiyose no Jutsu!" He placed his hand on the ground, a seal coming up before a puff of smoke appeared. Rizuma looked at the puff of smoke before a floating ray appeared. "Wait, where did I… IT'S YOU, YOU'RE THE HUMAN THAT TOU-SAN RESPECTS!" The ray looked at him with a curious gaze, Rizuma waving back.

"I assume your tou-san is Kyinosen-san, it's nice to meet you. My name is Rizuma Uzumaki, and if what Calopria-sama said is true, you're my familiar." The ray looked a lot bigger than him, but around the same size as Kashipta.

"I'm your familiar? Wait, I'm the first ray you summoned?" Rizuma nodded as the ray offered her stinger. "My name is Kyinare! It's amazing to meet you Rizuma-san, I want to know a lot about humankind, tou-san wouldn't let me anywhere near the Elemental Nations until I was fully grown, I'm glad to be your familiar, maybe now I can learn more about humans." Rizuma looked at Kyinare before offering his hand.

"A nice coincidence, I'm also looking to learn more about the rays, so it seems we are perfect for each other. Let's make this partnership a good one, Kyinare-san." Kyinare offered her stinger, a stinger a lot less developed than her fathers as they shook hand and stinger.

"Do you want a tour of Uzushio after we get summoned back, I will supply you with water if need be." Rizuma offered with Kyinare readily accepting before they both disappeared in a puff of smoke, finding themselves back under Merino Archway.

"TOU-SAN!" Kyinare flew over to Kyinosen, who sighed while Kashipta shook her head and Calopria simply chuckled.

"Kyinare, why did I have a feeling you were going to be his familiar?" Kyinare floated around her father, Rizuma looking at the pair while he zoned in on Kyinare's chakra, a steady blue just like what he had seen from most of the rays and humans he had seen. The chakra amount she had was comparable to his own.

"Alright Rizuma-kun, you have your familiar, and by the looks of it Kyinare-san is happy to be by your side. May your partnership bring wonders for the future." Rizuma looked back towards Calopria with a smile before Kyinare went back to him. "Tou-san, is it okay if I go see what Uzushio is like?!" Kyinosen looked at the pair before nodding as Kyinare cheered.

"Rizuma-kun, treat her with respect." Kashipta warned Rizuma, giving her a smile in return. "I wouldn't dare do anything else."

"Remember Rizuma-kun, the rays are now with you when you need us, be safe, and we will see you again." Rizuma nodded and before long, he was back on the beach with Kyinare.

"So Kyinare, do you want to see the Uzumaki Tower first?" Rizuma looked at the ray who just cheered. He began running across the water back to the mainland while Kyinare raced him in the water before they stopped and looked at the stone tower's peak, still standing strong.

"Wow, it's beautiful!" Kyinare had an audible gasp looking at the area around her, seeing how different Uzushiogakure was to her home in the reef.

"Yeah, this is my home. Even after it almost got destroyed, Uzushio still shines within the sun." Rizuma did some hand signs before clasping his hands together, Kyinare watching from the water.

"Katon: Houka Hira no Jutsu…" Rizuma opened his hands and blew into them, large cinders flowing into the air while the sun went down, the buildings of Uzushio glowing gold while the cinders burned in the dusk light. Kyinare looked amazed. "It's so beautiful…"

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Kyinare looked at Rizuma who just kept looking up with a smile. "Every 6 months, I do this, spreading cinders into the air on a sunset to commemorate my family, a ritual for them. These cinders move to their grave and finally burn up above the graves. The sun and Uzumaki tower were the first things that welcomed me back to this world, the golden light somehow shining even brighter than I had ever seen, so I try to replicate it the best I can."

"It's incredible, this is the first time I've ever seen a human up close, and this is the first time I've seen fire." Kyinare and Rizuma watched the cinders dance in the air before they finally went out, the sunset dimming and the night coming soon after.

"So you want to go to the Elemental Nations mainland to see what happened, but what if their war is still going on?! Rizuma, you could be walking into a war!" Kyinare yelled as a couple hours had passed since they began conversing, Rizuma laid down in the sand while Kyinare floated in the water.

"I need to know Kyinare-san, I need information, and I also need to know what has happened, if any countries have fallen, who knows? Maybe Iwa, Kiri and Kumo took over." Rizuma said, albeit sarcastically, he knew from his uncle and aunt that the Tsuchikage and Raikage were both too prideful and stubborn to keep an alliance with one another, even if Konoha had fallen they would probably have fought after.

"Konoha…" He frowned once again at the thought of their 'supposed' allies. He had more time to think, and every time he looked back at the headbands he saw on the ground, there were Konoha headbands with lines over them, but no actual Konoha headbands. "They were our allies, did they not send any shinobi to fight with us? Did they leave us to die? Where was Kushina? Tsurosen-oji and Vizane-oba always told me she was the most passionate for family, so where was she? Did they not make it in time, were they in another battle?" The more he thought about them, the more unclear his vision of them became. "RIZUMA!" Kyinare yelled out, snapping him out of his deep trance before he sighed. "I apologize Kyinare, I'm just thinking."

"Well stop your thinking, I have an idea!" Kyinare started flapping in the air while Rizuma watched.

"And that would be?" He asked with a raised eyebrow before she looked at him, smiling.

"We're going to the mainland right now, let's do it in the night so no one finds you suspicious when you arrive on a ray!" Rizuma looked at Kyinare with wide eyes, before he nodded with a wide smile. "Let me get my storage seals ready."

xXx

Violent waves of water spun around, fish caught within the raging ocean. The water turned and turned, Uzushio's natural defense system and the reason for its name right in front of them. Rizuma sat on Kyinare while they looked at the whirlpools that laid in front of them.

"So these whirlpools, there's no way around them?" She asked as he nodded, "Yes, these whirlpools have been here since the forming of the Elemental Nations, lined up in a way to separate the continent from the everlasting sea and other continents that are far beyond. These whirlpools are known as the Sage's Gates, the gates that kept Uzushio protected for many years."

"But people found a way through them, I can't believe it. They are as big as Kosuitei Reef itself! How is this natural?!"

"I don't know Kyinare-san, and I don't know how the clan managed to first get past these to found Uzushio." Kyinare flapped over the rapid line of maelstroms that separated the Elemental Nations from the vast ocean. Rizuma closed his eyes, feeling the weight on his shoulders finally lessen. "It's time…" He whispered to himself with a small tear coming from one eye. The maelstrom got louder and louder as they slowly approached the middle, the most ferocious portion of the whirlpool. A tornado of water formed in front of them, Kyinare floating slowly to avoid the high winds that tried to pull them in while Rizuma poured chakra into his arms, releasing Jinami before slashing the winds while channeling cinders through the sword. The tornado stopped after some time, with Kyinare floating past while panting as Rizuma put some chakra-replenishing seals on her.

"That… was intense… Kami…" Kyinare panted while Rizuma patted her on her head. "Those are rare occurrences where the whirlpools get so ferocious they turn into small typhoons, luckily it was a really short one that had little power. Those typhoons normally don't last above 5 minutes, but they are powerful."

"Nature is incredible, I'm sure even Kashipta-san would've had trouble with that! I have a question though, why did your sword glow with fire for a bit?"

"I channeled a Katon jutsu through Jinami so I could slash through some of the wind, fire naturally overpowers wind so it could keep us safe for longer, I assume since you've always been in the reef, you've never really seen fire huh." Rizuma replied to Kyinare's question as she nodded while they passed over the eye of the whirlpool. "I've seen Suiton, Raiton, Fuuton, even Doton with some of the coral jutsus, but when I saw you trying your best against tou-san and saw those fire clones and the fire through your sword, I was enamored. You even used some Suiton jutsu too, apparently that's really rare for a human, especially one your age to have two elemental affinities!" Rizuma nodded before continuing, "My main elemental affinities are Suiton and Katon, but I also found out in the last three years that I have an affinity for Doton, but it's not as potent as the other two yet."

"DOTON TOO? You're amazing!" Rizuma smiled slightly at her praise while they approached the end.

"Yeah, it's the only reason some of Uzushio's buildings still stand, though I don't know how much longer. My doton is barely enough as is. But some rays can use doton ninjutsu to create coral, that's even more incredible."

"YEAH! I can use Suiton, Raiton, and tou-san is teaching me some coral jutsu as well. Hopefully, I can learn from some of the other rays when I'm ready to at least attempt to use Fuuton! One day tou-san's gonna have a hard time defeating me, and then I'll be the clan head!" She echoed emphatically, Rizuma looking down at her.

"That's your dream, huh?" She cheered as they finally saw the end of the whirlpool in the distance. "Then I'm sure you'll be able to achieve it, you have the spirit for it. Now…"

A look of a village by the water in the far distance made Rizuma grin with a sense of achievement, he had reached the next step in his journey, a new frontier.

The Elemental Nations mainland stood in front of him, an all new experience soon to be explored.

"Here we go…"

xXx

Despite the nightfall that was above them, there were still merchants in the fishing village with bustling business. One man looked at all the money he had earned selling the things he had gotten while fishing and was about to close up for the night before a boy appeared in front of him suddenly. The man fell backwards and looked at the child, around 9 years old with short black hair and looking very poor. The man felt pity on the kid, up this late and looking like he had nowhere to go.

"Hello there, is there anything you need from me?" The man asked with a tone of understanding, the boy smiling back at him. "Oji-san, do you have a map of the Elemental Nations?" The boy whispered in a very raspy voice as the man looked at his collection before nodding. "It will be 500 ryo young man, normally its 750 but I'll make an exception just for you, people these days don't know the importance of knowing your way around these nations, avoiding tense zones between the five great nations, it's great that you plan to learn." The boy nodded with a smile before giving the man 500 ryo to get the map, relief painting his face. "He said 5 great nations, no one went down…" The boy took the map before slightly bowing to the man, "Thank you, Oji-san. Have a good night." The boy began walking towards the woods with the map in hand before the man stopped him.

"Wait young man, this village has had bandit problems in the past, please don't travel the woods during the night!" The man tried to get the boy to stay, but the boy smiled back at him, "It's alright Oji-san, thank you for giving me a deal, here." The boy threw more ryo towards the merchant, the man looking at the 2,000 ryo the boy had thrown at him with shock before he looked up, and the boy was gone with the wind. "That boy, was he a shinobi?"

xXx

"When's the next time we're going to raid that village? Those merchants have a lot of valuable stuff on hand?" A group of 20 men surrounded a bonfire, all of them having a range of weapons, from swords to wooden clubs.

"We're going to raid it tonight, the village has dropped its guard and called off the shinobi from Shimogakure, I don't think anyone in that village can beat the chief over there." One of the men pointed to a man with a sick smile on his face and a headband from Kirigakure with a slash mark in the middle.

"I heard he was a genin from Kirigakure that ran away from the civil war going on over there between those clans with bloodlines and that insane Mizukage that wants to wipe them out, isn't genin the lowest rank for shinobi?" A man tried to whisper before he got taken down by the man, his sickly smile even larger than before.

"I may be a genin, but don't mistake yourself, I am the best this group offers, you fools couldn't even kill that one old man until I stepped in, now look at you, killing and bringing down villages. Shinobi are after us, aren't you PROUD?!" The man laughed as the bandits all cheered before getting up, preparing to loot that village for all it was worth before there was rustling in the grass, and a ragged boy came out.

"Who the hell is this gaki?" One of the men yelled as the chief walked up to the boy, who looked dead on his feet. "Sir, may I please have some water and food?"

The man looked at the kid before smiling widely and backhanding him. "Don't ask for handouts gaki, you don't know if the person you're asking wants to kill you or not. Now GET OUT OF HERE BEFORE I KILL YOU!"

The boy looked up with a sad smile, "Please, just one piece of bread." The man smiled even more before drawing his sword, "Oh, this is just my lucky day, I can't believe I get to have a free kill before I move onto the village." He lept toward the boy at a speed which the other bandits couldn't keep up with and stabbed the boy with the sword. The boy didn't react however, and burst into embers. "What the…" Two kunai then stuck in the man's knees, the man screaming in pain while the bandits all jumped and grabbed their weapons.

"WHO THE FUCK IS THERE? LEAVE NOW AND WE WON'T KILL YOU!" A small laugh then filled the woods around them. The genin stepped up and did some hand signs. "Suiton: Mizu Baretto no Jutsu!" He shot water bullets from his mouth into the treeline ahead, yelling after, "IF YOU COME HERE, I'LL KILL YOU MYSELF!"

"Scum…" All the men heard before one screamed, a slash mark appearing on his chest. "Preying on those who can't fight back, you people are just that scum. Scum who don't deserve to live." Multiple men started feeling something on their backs, including the genin, before they all fell to the ground, their weight suddenly increasing even more. They looked up and saw the ragged boy in front of them with a straight face.

"You won't harm the people in that village anymore." The boy prepared some hand signs as the genin tried his best to remove whatever was on him before feeling the weight suddenly decrease and jumping out of the way, avoiding a fireball that burned all the other bandits away. He looked appalled before glancing at the boy, who just looked at him stone-faced. "You don't know what you just did gaki, you killed my team, so I'm going to kill you and EVERYONE in that village. I broke out of whatever you did to us, now it's time for your death."

"You didn't break out…" the boy whispered before he transformed, Rizuma looking at the man who now looked nervous, a boy that looked a third his age had shinobi abilities.

"I let you out, I need experience fighting people. You just bragged that you were a genin, the lowest rank I might add, at your age." Rizuma smirked at the man who grabbed his sword so tight blood was drawn. "DON'T UNDERESTIMATE ME GAKI, I'LL KILL YOU. SUITON: MIZU BARETTO NO JUTSU!" The man sent more water bullets towards Rizuma, who had already prepared handsigns. "Suiton: Mizurappa." Rizuma calmly sent out a water wave that completely overtook the man's water bullets, the man looking tired and shocked before rushing toward Rizuma with his sword drawn. Rizuma drew Jinami and parried the blow, the two locked in a kenjutsu battle. The man's attacks were predictable and slow, Rizuma quickly overpowering him before dangling Jinami in front of the man's eyes, Rizuma plucking his sword from his grasp and whispering, "Tsukisasu…" The man then felt the swords pierce through his shoulders and then through his abdomen before passing out, Rizuma releasing the short length genjutsu and then looking down at the man, before throwing his sword into the air. Rizuma walked slowly backward, before seeing the sword land through the man's head, killing him. He shut his eyes and walked away, his first kills having been completed. He looked down at his hands before shutting his eyes again.

"Killing will never be easy Rizuma, but there will be a point where you will have to kill, and when you do, their faces will always appear in your mind again and again, because you never forget the first time you took someone's life away, but never kill unless you're doing a good cause Rizuma, if there is another way, find that other way, but if they are irredeemable, then harden yourself."

"Understood, Tsurosen-oji." Tears were shed, but it wasn't for the people he killed. "They deserved it." He wiped the tears away before going to the genin's body, and sealing it in a storage seal. He then sent a water jutsu to wash away the ashes before sitting and looking down at one of the logs by the campfire. "So Konoha, Kumo, Kiri, Suna, and Iwa are all still things. But apparently there's a civil war in Kiri right now, and the Mizukage wishes to wipe out the bloodlines of people." Rizuma shook his head before looking at the map again. "Right now I'm here in the land of frost, and those bandits said something about shinobi from Shimogakure coming to this village." Rizuma put down the map and looked at his hands. "I need more time, more experience. I need to battle shinobi, bandits are not going to be enough, I need more information on what is going on in these different countries. Maybe that merchant can help." Rizuma gathered the map and tree-hopped back to the village. He looked at the merchant walking toward a certain pub before stopping the man, a blank mask on his face.

"Young man, what are you doing out this late at night?" The man asked as Rizuma looked at him with a short smile, though he couldn't tell. "I took care of that bandit problem, oji-san."

"Wait…" The man looked at him with a shocked gaze as he thought back to the ragged boy who walked into the woods. "You are a shinobi! I thought I was crazy when you disappeared gaki, thank you for the ryo." Rizuma shook his head and replied, "No, thank you for your kindness, you gave me a deal when you had every right to refuse me since you were about to close oji-san. Those bandits aren't going to harm you anymore."

"You're just a boy, but I can tell you aren't lying to me, they are making shinobi too young, are you from Shimogakure on a mission, if so, I can point you to the town leader." Rizuma shook his head, "I'm simply a wandering shinobi oji-san, I'm not from any hidden village here, I have some questions if you're willing to answer them."

"Alright gaki, follow me to the pub, I'll answer some of your questions there. The village leader should also be at the pub right now." Rizuma nodded and followed the merchant there, the merchant looking at Rizuma while he studied the map with a smile. They entered the pub, everyone in there looking at Rizuma who stared back, feeling a sort of tension as this was the first time in years he had been around other humans.

"Hey Sokame, who's the gaki you brought here?" One of the drunk members in there asked, as the rest all looked confused.

"Well, apparently, this gaki is the one that brought down that group of bandits led by that one Kiri missing-nin outside the village." Sokame said with a shrug as all the patrons started laughing, Rizuma just shaking his head as they began to taunt him about how he was just a kid and to stop imagining things before he simply brought out his storage seal and unsealed the body. The laughing stopped soon after. They all looked at the body of the man with wide eyes, even Sokame.

"Is this imagination as well?" One man then stepped up, brown skin with short black hair and a long beard. The man checked the body's pulse, finding none. He then laughed and looked at Rizuma.

"Follow me…" The man led Rizuma and Sokame to a private booth, separated from the drunkards that surrounded the pub.

"Well then, you have certainly piqued my interest, my name is Hasoe, leader of this village." Rizuma shook the man's hand in respect before replying, "Call me Shinku."

"Well then Shinku, may I ask what you are doing here, surely you didn't come just to take down those bandits. And I don't see a Shimo headband, what village do you belong to?"

"He doesn't belong to a village Hasoe-dono, he's a ronin, a wandering shinobi." Sokame answered for him, Hasoe looking at him with a hand on his chin.

"Hmmm, I assume you want some sort of payment for the bandit, it was a C-rank mission we paid Shimo for, but they couldn't find it. I also know the man was in the Bingo Book as a D-Rank missing nin, so maybe get a little more there."

"I don't need any money from you, I would prefer more information." Rizuma said as Hasoe nodded. "Well then, what would you like to know?"

"What is going on in the land of water?" The two looked gobsmacked, "You mean you haven't heard of the Bloodline Wars?" Rizuma shook his head as Hasoe looked 10 years older in that one moment. "They say that the Yondaime Mizukage, Yagura Karatachi has gone insane. He has declared that all bloodlines within the land of water are outlawed and all the clans that were renowned for their bloodline abilities are to now be hunted down and slaughtered. A rebellion and coalition of the bloodline clans have stepped up to combat Yagura, and both sides are locked in combat for control of Kirigakure and the land of water." Rizuma nodded before then pointing, "Are there any new countries, some that have been founded within the last 10 years?" Hasoe and Sokame looked at each other before Sokame continued, "Otogakure within the land of rice paddies has sprouted up recently, a land filled with gangs and missing-nin." Underneath the mask, Rizuma smiled widely. "The place was originally run by the Fuma clan before they got usurped by a shinobi who established the place, unfortunately no one knows who that is." They both heard humming from the boy, who then said, "Are there any other places where you would find more missing-nin than normal.?"

"The Land of Hot Springs has a lot of missing-nin looking to hide from the two powerhouses, Konoha and Kumo, also Bird Country and Vegetable Country in the east also have some missing-nin due to the conflict between the two countries, thus the shinobi having no time to go find these missing-nin over there."

Rizuma stood up and nodded toward the two, removing the mask slightly to show his smile, "Thank you, sincerely. I ask that you don't speak of me to other people, and if you do simply refer to me as Shinku. I hope I will see you two again, you do not know the impact it has on me." A water tornado suddenly appeared in the pub before he was gone, leaving the two men dumbfounded.

xXx

Rizuma looked out to the horizon back on Uzushio, his eyes closed but mind clear.

"I finally have a plan, you guys. I will gain more experience within the land of Hot Springs and Rice Paddies, also looking out for more information regarding the five great nations. Then, I will sneak into the Land of Water and search out the remaining clans and try to convince at least some of them to leave the Land of Water behind. Uzushio will be a haven. I'm convinced there is more to Kiri turning into a civil war than meets the eye, and even if Kiri took part in our massacre, the people within the land of water did not, and I won't have more people getting massacred simply because they exist."

He stood up and looked out to the water, steam appearing behind him as he exerted his chakra. "May the next couple of years be beneficial to me, it's finally time to move."

xXx

Notes:

Yup, I'm back, 2023 is in full effect and I got multiple chapters coming up for my other stories in the next couple of weeks. May 2023 be beneficial to all of us, any questions I'll answer in the reviews and pms, love you guys!